Rubbing-apron for worsted-drawing machines.



N0. 637,543. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. A. WOLSTENHOLME. RUBBING APRON FDRWORSTED DRAWING MACHINES.

010 Model.)

l r" i Umrsn' STATES PATENT Ori ice,

ALFRED \VOLSTENHOLME, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RuB BlNG-APRON FOR WORSTED-DRAWING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,543, dated November21, 1899.

Application filed June 14, 1899- To all whom it jnay concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED WoLsTEN- HOLME, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Rubbing- Aprons for Worsted-Drawing Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the process known as the Frenchsystem of drawing used in the manufacture of worsted yarns, by which ismeant all woolen yarns of fine texture and long staple, the inventionconsisting of an improved form of apronused for the rubbing or rollingand compressing of the worsted roving or sliver in this system ofdrawing.

My invent-ion is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a diagram of sufficient of a machine for carrying out theprocess known as the French system of drawing, showing a pair ofrubbing-aprons employed therewith. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of oneof my improved rubbing-aprons. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view ofmy improved rubbing-apron, and Figs. 4 and 5 are similar sectional viewsof modified forms of the rubbing-apron.

In the French system of drawing as hitherto carried out it has been thecustom to employ rubbing-aprons having a uniformly-roughened surface.When leather aprons have been used, this surface has either been thenatural flesh side of the hide, with the lumps or inequalities of thesame removed, or if the grain side of the leather has been used it isbuffed to give it the required roughness. Aprons composed of othermaterial have been used; but in all instances such aprons have had auniformly-roughened surface. The object of such roughened surface was toinsure the proper rubbing or condensing of the rovings or sliversoperated upon. In practice, however, these aprons have provedunsatisfactory, as after running for some length of time they developtwo defects. In some instances the roughened surfaces tend to wearsmooth and produce patches of surface having almost a glazed finish,which defeats the purpose for which they are employed, the sliveremerging from between the rubbingaprons without any material change fromthe condition in which it entered the same, while Serial No. 720,541.(No model.)

in other instances the surface of the aprons will wear rougher in partsand tear the slivers operated upon, making a very rough strand, besidescollecting more or less of the fibers on theapron, thereby formingwaste. In some instances the surface of the rubbing-aprons presents bothof the defects just enumerated.

Having in mind the many defects and insufficiencies of therubbing-aprons now in common use, I have devised the improvedrubbing-apron forming the subject of this application.

My invention consists in grooving or indenting the smooth grain surfaceof a rubbingapron whereby the same is adapted for the rolling andcompressing of the worsted roving or sliver in the process known as theFrench system of drawing, the said grooves or indentations being madecontinuous and preferably in parallel lines.

The grooves or indentations which are formed in the grain surface of therubbingaprons maybe of a width and depth sufficient to enable saidaprons to perform the necessary amount of rubbing, rolling, andcompressing commensurate with the bulk of the roving or sliver to beoperated upon; but these grooves are generally uniform in width anddepth for the entire extent of the apron, and I have found in practicethat the best results are obtained with grooves of a width and depth ofone-sixteenth of an inch disposed about three-eighths of an inch fromthe center of one groove to the center of the next adjoining groove, andthere may be as many of such grooves as the width of the rubbingapronmay permit.

It is essential that the leather of which the improved rubbing-apronsare made shall present a natural close fine-grained surface, a conditionwhich it should permanently retain while in use in contradistinction tothe old kind of rubbing-aprons at present in common use, which to beeffective require a semiroughened rubbing-surface.

Fig. l of the accompanying drawings represents in diagram sufficient ofa machine for carrying out the French system of drawing used for themanufacture of worsted yarns to illustrate the use of my invention. Inthe present instance three rovin gs or slivers mare shown as beingcondensed into a single sliver ranged between the runs of the upperapron or roving 3 which is wound on the bobbin 15. J 1 and 2 are theupperdrawing-rolls, and 3 and 4 are the lower drawing-rolls. 5 is thecircular comb or porcupine for combing the condensed sliver into fiatstock with the fibers arranged in parallel lines. 6 is a grooveddraftroller over which the stock passes and upon which is mounted theroll 7 for maintaining the stock in the flattened condition, and 8 and 9are the aprons for rubbing the fiat stock into a roving or sliver andgiving it what I term a mock twist. The upper apron is driven in thedirection of the arrow to by the rolls 10 and 11, and the lower apron isdriven by the rolls 1? and 13 in the direction of the arrow 1), so thatthe meeting faces of the aprons will move in the same direction, theaprons at the same time being reciprocated laterally in differentdirections by the usual mechanism, so as to rub and twist the flat stockinto a sliver. This sliver as it emerges from the rubbing-aprons ispassed through the ordinary trumpet-eye it onto the bobbin 15. A roller10 is ar- 8 and in contact with the lower run of the same so as toinsure the contact of the meeting faces of the aprons 8 and 9, wherebythe rubbing of the fiat stock into a substantially round sliver will beaccomplished.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a perspective view of the upper rubbingapron 8provided with a series of longitudinal parallel grooves 17, the spacebetween the grooves being the smooth fine-grained surface of theleather. It will be understood that the lower rubbing-apron is groovedin the same manner as the upper apron.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a cross-section of a portion of the rubbing-apronon an enlarged scale, the smooth fine-grained surface of the same beingindicated by the line sectionlines. In this apron the grooves 17 aresubstantially square.

In Figs. 4: and 5 I have shown modifications of the shape of the groovesin the rubbingaprons, Fig. 4 showing a groove of triangular shape andFig. 5 showing a groove of semicircular shape.

The grooves or indentations in the face of the rubbing-aprons insure theproper hold of said aprons upon the roving or sliver while it is beingrubbed or rolled and compressed by means of the lateral reciprocatingmotion imparted by the machine to the rubbingaprons, while the smoothgrain surface of the leather has no tendency to cause fibers to becomedetached and adhere to the rubbing-aprons, an evil commonly known aslapping and which is unavoidable with the use of the ordinaryrubbing-aprons, especially under certain conditions of the atmosphere.

The use of my improved rubbing-aprons does not require any change in anyother part of the machine on which they may be employed. A greatadvantage gained by the use of the grooved rubbing-aprons is that thetwo roving-strands in process of rubbing or rolling are never entangledin that operation, but each individual strand is kept absolutely intactfrom the other, each one being discharged from the grooved aprons freefrom roughened or projecting fibers, being Well rounded and compact andwith no possibility of one strand becoming attached to its adjoiningstrand while both are being run together parallel and in contact throughthe same trumpet-guide onto the receiving roving-bobbin in front of themachine.

I am aware of the grooved rub roll or apron for condensingcarding-machines, patented by Samuel H. Gidley, No. 480,088, datedAugust 2, 1802, and also the patent to James Barker for grooved rub rollor apron for condensing carding-machines, No. 489,281, dated January 3,1893; but in each instance the apron shown and described by thesepatents was the ordinary carding-machine apron used for operating upon afieece of unoombed Wool, while the material which I operate upon is asliver of combed stock having parallel fibers of long staple.

I do not claim, broadly, the idea or use of a grooved apron for thepurpose of drawing or rubbing fibrous material; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Asanewarticle of manufacture,aleather apron for use in the drawing orrubbing of rovings orslivers of worsted yarns, said apron having asmooth, close, fine-grained, unbuffed surface, and having on saidunbuffed grain surface a series of grooves arranged longitudinally ofthe same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Asanew article of manufacture,aleather rubbing-apron for use in amachine for carrying out the French system of drawing or rubbing in themanufacture of long-fiber worsted yarns, said apron having a natural,close, smooth, fine-grained, unbulfed surface, and having on saidunbufted grain surface a series of parallel grooves or indentations,spaced at equal distances apart and arranged longitudinally of saidapron, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED \VOLSTENHOLME.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. SPARHAWK, MURRAY 0. BOYER.

